- Oct 2 Liesbeth Ribbius Peletier, Neth's 1st female advisor of State, dies
- Oct 3 Joseph Wybran, Belgian physician/Jews foreman, murdered
- Oct 3 Del Wool [Adelaide Hazelwood], American country musician, dies at 69
- Oct 4 Graham Chapman, English comedian (Monty Python, Life of Brian), dies of cancer at 48
- Oct 4 Norman Yardley, cricketer (England captain 1947-50), dies
- Oct 4 Secretariat, American race horse (b. 1970)
Bette Davis
Oct 6 Bette Davis, American actress (All About Eve, White Mama), dies at 81
Bette Davis
- Oct 9 Penny Lernoux, American journalist and author (b. 1940)
- Oct 11 Paul Shenar, actor (Deadly Force, Dream Lover), dies at 53
- Oct 11 M. King Hubbert, American geologist and geophysicist, dies at 86
- Oct 12 Franco, [Francis Luambo/"Makiadi"], Zaire composer/music, dies at 51
- Oct 12 Jay Ward, American cartoonist (Rocky & His Friends, Bullwinkle), dies of kidney cancer at 69
- Oct 12 Carmen Cavallaro, American actor and pianist (Hollywood Canteen, Diamond Horseshoe), dies from prostate cancer at 76
- Oct 13 Cesare Zavattini, Italian screenwriter (Ladri di Biciclette), dies at 87
- Oct 14 Michael Carmine, actor (Batteries Not Included), dies at 30
- Oct 16 Cornel Wilde [Kornel Lajos Weisz], Hungarian-American actor (Sword of Lancelot, High Sierra, 5th Musketeer), dies at 74
- Oct 20 Anthony Quayle, British actor (Anne of 1000 Days, Lawrence of Arabia), dies from liver cancer at 76
- Oct 21 Jean Image, Hungarian-born French animator (b. 1910)
- Oct 22 Roland Winters [Winternitz], American actor (Mama, Smothers Brothers, Jet Pilot, Meet Millie), dies at 84
- Oct 22 Ewan MacColl [James Miller], Scottish folk singer-songwriter (The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face), dies at 74
- Oct 22 Jacob Wetterling, American kidnapping victim, is kidnapped, assaulted and murdered at 11 by Danny Heinrich. His abduction and murder would remain a mystery for 30 years.
- Oct 23 Armida, Mexican-American stage, vaudeville and film actress (b. 1911)
- Oct 25 Gerard Walschap, Flemish writer (Men of Goods), dies at 91
- Oct 25 Mary McCarthy, American novelist (Group), dies, at 77
- Oct 26 Andrew Roberts, cricketer (7 Tests for New Zealand 1976), dies
- Oct 26 Charles J. Pedersen, American biochemist (Nobel 1987), dies at 85
- Oct 31 Conrad Beck, Swiss composer, dies at 88